鳥文斎栄之画 「風流略六哥仙 其の二」小野小町|Ono no Komachi: Number Two (Sono ni), from the series Stylish Parodies of the Six Poetic Immortals (Fūryū yatsushi rokkasen)

Eishi employs fine line work and soft, muted pigments typical of late‑eighteenth‑century ukiyo‑e bijin‑ga. The composition balances delicate brushstrokes with subtle color washes, creating a calm, refined atmosphere that highlights the elongated proportions of the subject.

Born into a samurai family, Eishi left his official duties to study under Kano Eisen’in Michinobu and pursue printmaking. The artist’s signature appears in the lower corner, confirming his authorship and situating the work within his early career, when he was establishing a reputation for elegant portraiture of literary figures.

The series reinterprets the Six Poetic Immortals, a group of celebrated Heian poets, through a fashionable, contemporary lens. By portraying Komachi in courtly attire and with poetic accessories, Eishi links the classical literary tradition to the visual culture of Edo‑period urban society.